[nabs-l] National Federation of the BlindApplaudsNewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

Fri May 11 13:39:06 UTC 2012

I use a combination of braille and audio.  It does help me with my spelling
and structure as well.  I have a slight hearing loss, and therefore, do not
hear all sounds as clearly as I should.  So seeing some terms and words in
braille, helps me quite a bit.  My wife uses braille quite extensively s
well.  She has always said she can tell almost 100 percent of the time which
blind people do or do not use braille.  

Loren 

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Ashley Bramlett
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 9:47 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the
BlindApplaudsNewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

Sophie,
I'm confused too. Yes you could write by typing provided you know how to
structure it; how to spell, where to punctuate your sentences, etc.
As someone who learned to spell, punctuate words and sentences, learned the
concept of a paragraph, and more from really reading in braille, I cannot
see how you can grasp the english language without first seeing the
language. If you can read print or read it before your vision declined which
I think is Marc's case, yes you can remember the english structure and
continue your literacy skills.
But for someone young enough not to learn the structure and semantics of the
english language, I fail to understand how you can learn it simply via
audio. For instance, in audio I cannot see where one paragraph ends and
another begins; this causes problems in college english classes because the
professor says see paragraph 1, 2 etc on page 3 or whatever.
When I only hear, I cannot see how to spell and therefore have to ask
someone if I do not know its spelling already; I have been marked down in
college papers for failing to spell technical terms like drug names in
psychology papers. I did not ask a reader how to spell all of them. So these
are just some challenges with audio learning.
I think my literacy skills would be much weaker if I were not held to a high
standard in elementary school and learned to spell and learned braille.

Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: Sophie Trist
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 10:25 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the
BlindApplaudsNewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

But I'm confused. Do you just use audio materials to read? For writing, I
guess you just type on a computer--that's what I do too. I would be curious
to know how someone who doesn't read braille or print can read.

----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Workman <mworkman.lists at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Thu, 10 May 2012 15:34:07 -0700
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind
ApplaudsNewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

Hello Sophie,

I haven't been able to read print for a good ten years. I'm not totally
blind, no, but I'm near enough as makes no difference. So if not reading
print and not reading Braille makes one illiterate, then I am one of those
rare illiterates that spends most of his day reading and writing.

I do think that, at least for a person who learned print, using a screen
reader to listen to an email or a journal article is analogous to reading. I
would be willing to lay down a small sum of money on the bet that performing
an FMRI scan of my brain while i'm reading with a screen reader would show
activity in the same parts of the brain that light up in sighted people when
they read print. I don't know this for sure, just a hunch, especially since
I often visualize letters and words as the screen reader echoes them. If
anyone knows of research in this area, I'd be interested.

Marc
On 2012-05-10, at 1:06 PM, Sophie Trist wrote:

Marc,

I believe that when Chris said, "Without braille, we couldn't read or
write,", she was speaking of the totally blind. From your e-mail, I gather
that you still have a good bit of my vision left. I am completely blind, so
there is no possible way that I could learn print. Okay, I can learn to sign
my name, but that's about it. So for those of us who are totally blind or
whose vision is not reliable enough for them to read print (sorry, but I
think you're a minority on this list), without braille, we could not read or
write.

----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Workman <mworkman.lists at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Thu, 10 May 2012 08:40:45 -0700
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Applauds
NewJerseyRuling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

I guess I'm in a small minority of those who had Braille forced on them as a
child. I resisted it with every argument an eight year old can muster. At
several times throughout my primary and secondary education, I was made to
learn and relearn Braille even though I didn't use it then and have rarely
used it since.

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying I was right to resist. There
are lots of things that children resist learning for one reason or another
(e.g.,second and third languages, musical instruments, dance), and all of
these skills contribute to the production of a more well-rounded and
talented person.
Braille falls into this category for me. Knowing it better would likely help
me get a job, but so too would being more fluent in french, particularly in
Canada.

Where I do take issue, and I've expressed this before, is with statements
like this one from Chris:

"Without Braille, we can't read or write."

And I'm not picking on you, Chris, I could have found others making the same
point in this thread. If Chris's statement is true, then this email and
every essay I wrote in my undergrad, masters, and PhD programs were written
by someone who is illiterate. Without being too immodest, I think I write
better than a majority of sighted people, and that's not bad for an
illiterate person.

Any child that wants to learn Braille or any parents that want that for
their children should receive the instruction they desire. Adults too should
receive the support to learn Braille if they so desire. What I think is
worth pointing out is that Braille isn't necessary for blind people to be
able to read and write, Braille isn't necessary for blind people to be
successful, and in some cases, mine in particular, the dozens of hours spent
learning Braille may more effectively be spent learning other skills.

Cheers,

Marc
On 2012-05-08, at 5:41 PM, Chris Nusbaum wrote:

A big amen to that! I couldn't have said it any better! I was actually
having a similar conversation with my school librarian today, who asked me
whether I saw Braille withering away with the advancement of audio
technology. I told her I didn't, and even if I could see that happening, I
wouldn't want it. Why do I not see Braille going away? Because there are
enough blind people who are passionate about Braille to prevent that from
happening! Why would I want Braille to continue as the primary source of
reading and writing for the blind? Because reading books in audio format,
although it is a good method for reading materials sometimes, isn't true
literacy. Braille is our form of literacy. Without Braille, we can't read or
write. This means that we can't get a job, or go to college, or keep up with
our sighted peers. So, I think we definitely still need Braille because it
is our form of literacy, and if we get rid of Braille, we should get rid of
print too!

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle Silverman
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 10:42 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] FW: National Federation of the Blind Applauds
NewJersey Ruling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

It's sad that this required three years of legal contention to resolve.
What's even sadder is that for thousands of other children, these battles
aren't being won in the end or even being fought in the first place. Parents
capitulate to the professionals' insistence that their child doesn't need
Braille, or they want to fight but don't have the time, energy or legal
resources to stick it out.
The saddest thing of all, and an irony too, is that so much of the denial of
Braille instruction is being perpetrated by the very people entrusted to
promote and teach Braille--teachers of the blind! I just read a few weeks
ago about a preschool child whose TVI refused to provide her with Braille
copies of the storybooks her classmates were given in school.
Instead, the
teacher thought it sufficient to give the child stuffed toys representing
the characters in the stories. I can understand using toys to substitute for
the pictures, but if the sighted kids are getting copies of the stories, why
not give the exact same content to the blind child as well? I might add that
in today's electronic world, and even before computers existed, transcribing
a book for preschoolers is not difficult. And even in this case with the
Millers, the NJ Commission for the Blind backed the school's decision not to
provide Braille. If even the folks who are charged to teach us literacy
don't stand behind Braille, who will? In my opinion a certified teacher of
blind children who refuses to teach Braille, or who refuses to hold their
students to competitive reading standards, is not deserving of that
certificate.
I sincerely hope that this victory will set a meaningful precedent to bring
about big changes for those parents who are fighting for Braille today and
in the future.
Arielle

On 5/7/12, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu> wrote:
How old is the child?
I got Braille instruction, when I was just starting school!
Why is it, that they did this, with this child?
Any word on how old he is?
Thanks, Joshua

On 5/7/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
I agree, how  sad.

-----Original Message-----
From: Loren
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 8:09 PM
To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list' ;
blindtlk at nfbnet.org ; nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] FW: National Federation of the Blind Applauds
NewJersey Ruling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

It's extremely sad that this took 3 years to come to this decision.
Would
anyone deny a sighted child print instruction for that long?
Congrats to the Millers for sticking with it.  You did a great thing for
your child.

Loren Wakefield

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Chris Nusbaum
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 5:54 PM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org; 'National Association of Blind Students mailing
list'; nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nabs-l] FW: National Federation of the Blind Applauds New Jersey
Ruling on Braille Instruction for Blind Child

From: Freeh, Jessica [mailto:JFreeh at nfb.org]
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 8:57 AM
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: National Federation of the Blind Applauds New Jersey Ruling on
Braille Instruction for Blind Child

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org> cdanielsen at nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind Applauds New Jersey Ruling on Braille
Instruction for Blind Child

After Three-Year Battle, Hank Miller Will Receive Braille Instruction

Oceanport, New Jersey (May 7, 2012): After a three-year administrative and
legal battle against their local school board, the Oceanport Board of
Education, Jeffrey and Holly Miller obtained a ruling (docket
number:
2011
17218) from an administrative law judge that their eleven-year-old son Henry
"Hank" Miller was improperly denied instruction in Braille, the reading and
writing code for the blind.  The legal victory, obtained with the assistance
of the National Federation of the Blind <http://www.nfb.org/> (NFB), comes
on the heels of

<http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/Letter%20to%20Secretary%20
Duncan%20re
%20Braille%20Literacy.pdf> a letter from 26 U.S. Senators urging the
Department of Education to take steps to ensure that blind children who need
Braille instruction receive it.

Holly and Jeffrey Miller brought the legal case on behalf of their son,
Hank, whom they adopted from China and who is blind due to albinism and
nystagmus.  Hank has limited vision that allows him to read enlarged print
for short periods of time, but he is unable to read for sustained periods of
time.  Although Hank's parents continued to tell school officials that their
son was experiencing visual fatigue and was having difficulty reading, the
school board and its consultant, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and
Visually Impaired (CBVI), insisted that Hank was a proficient print reader,
notwithstanding his continued placement in a special resource room for
language arts.  In a nearly ten-day hearing, held under the due process
provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
2004, Mrs. Miller testified that she watched Hank routinely struggle with
his homework, suffering from eye strain and fatigue, but was unable to
convince school officials or the CBVI that Hank needed Braille instruction.
She also testified that Hank's schoolwork was not of the same quantity and
quality as that of his classmates.  Although experts from the school and the
commission claimed that Hank was a "visual learner" and should participate
in the "sighted world," experts hired by the Millers and the NFB concluded
after thorough assessment that Hank could not read print for extended
periods of time without eye strain, neck and back pain, fatigue, and loss of
reading speed and comprehension.

In her order, Administrative Law Judge Lisa James-Beavers found that the
school board and the commission displayed a clear "bias against Braille."
She found that the school board and the commission had failed to assess
Hank's "sustained reading ability" with print, relying instead on reading
assessments involving only brief passages, and citing Hank's alleged failure
to complain about struggling to read print.  The judge was unconvinced by
the board and CBVI's contention that Hank could rely on audio technology as
reading demands increased through his school years, noting that "as pointed
out by all of petitioners' well-qualified experts, listening does not equate
to reading.  One does not enhance the active skill of comprehending text by
passively listening, even if one is following along with the reading."
The
order noted that "the CBVI failed to do what Oceanport relied on them to do,
which is to help construct a program that would give H.M.
meaningful
educational benefit considering H.M.'s future needs."  Judge James-Beavers
ordered that Hank Miller be provided with Braille instruction for forty-five
minutes, five days a week, and that the school board provide compensatory
instruction because of the three years that Hank was not provided with
Braille instruction, in the form of intensive Braille summer programs or
tutoring.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
"Based on the experience of countless parents of blind children and blind
adults who had never learned Braille and have contacted us over the years,
the National Federation of the Blind has consistently argued that blind
children are being improperly assessed and denied Braille instruction when
it is clearly appropriate.  Now after a thorough and comprehensive
examination of the evidence in Hank Miller's case, an independent judge has
confirmed what we always knew.  We hope that school and agency officials
across the nation take note of this landmark ruling and commit to giving
blind children access to Braille, the true key to literacy for the vast
majority of children who are blind or losing vision.  The National
Federation of the Blind will continue to stand with families like the
Millers who find themselves pitted against the educational establishment in
obtaining the equal education to which their children are entitled and which
they deserve."

Holly Miller, Hank's mother, said: "I am obviously thrilled with this
ruling, although I am still saddened that it took such a prolonged battle to
achieve it.  I am stepping forward to tell Hank's story in hopes that other
parents of blind children will not have to struggle as we did.
I thank
the
National Federation of the Blind and all of the individuals and experts who
came forward to assist in this case.  I plan to strongly and publicly
advocate with the National Federation of the Blind for Braille instruction
for blind children."

The plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum of
the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy, and Jayne M.
Wesler of the
Cranbury firm Sussan and Greenwald.

For more information about the National Federation of the Blind, please
visit www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org/> .  For more information about
Braille, the reading and writing code for the blind, please visit
www.braille.org <http://www.braille.org/> .

###

About the National Federation of the Blind

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the
largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the
United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy,
education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and
self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and
the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National
Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training
center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.

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